The invention relates to the field of holders for multiple sampling needle assemblies and associated blood collection tubes.
A commonly used method for collecting blood is the employment of a needle assembly in conjunction with an evacuated container. The evacuated container provides the pressure differential necessary to facilitate flow and collection of the blood through the needle assembly into the container.
Known blood collection devices have employed needle assemblies having one end designed for venipuncture and another for puncture of the resilient closure of the evacuated tube. The needle assembly has a threaded portion allowing a holder to be attached thereon. An evacuated container is inserted within the holder unitl its closure is punctured by the appropriate end of the needle. Such a device is shown, for example, in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,367.
Conventional holders do not allow for the insertion of all diameter sizes of collection tubes. As a result, to fill different sized tubes, a number of venipunctures must be made. It also requires the manufacture of different size holders to accommodate tubes of varying diameters, or to construct the closures of the tubes to fit within the holder properly. It would be most advantageous if a holder were designed to accommodate a number of differently sized tubes, as the above procedures would then be unnecessary.